UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for calm, de-escalation of tensions and respect for rule of law in Pakistan amid the government-opposition political standoff. Why have things come to a pretty pass today?
Just months back, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan faced a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly that triggered a high-voltage drama. Was it necessary to pull down a government that was just nearing the fag end of its tenure? Imran Khan warned that the economy that was taking off would take a hit from this changing of the guard at the top. But nobody heeded it. Finally, Mr Khan lost the no-confidence vote as a group of lawmakers of his party defected for reasons best known to them. Thus Imran Khan was ousted from power.
How is the state of economy in Pakistan now? The growth target has been lowered. The forex reserve is depleting fast. Before the ouster of premier Imran Khan the inflation rate was hovering around 13 per cent. But the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (PBS) said last week that the inflation measured by the Sensitive Price Index (SPI) rose sharply in the previous week climbing to a record 42.3 per cent year-on-year.
The people of Pakistan now can compare. An Imran Khan in the opposition is now more popular than the Imran Khan in power. The recent election to a score of parliamentary seats attests to this. The Election Commission of Pakistan has announced the schedule for voting in nine parliamentary seats. Imran Khan has filed his nomination papers for contesting election in all nine seats. He has also invited any of the bigwigs in the ruling camp to challenge him in the election. So far no heavyweight from the ruling camp has come up to take up the gauntlet except Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah. Imran Khan's nomination papers have been found valid in eight of the nine constituencies. But in the constituency where Rana Sanaullah is a candidate, the Election Commission has rejected the nomination paper of Mr. Khan citing an error. However, Mr Khan has challenged the decision in court that remains the last resort in this country. Earlier, when Imran's PTI-led alliance failed to form government in the Punjab province, despite winning the majority seats, because of a controversial ruling of the provincial assembly speaker, he went to court. The court overturned the ruling and the PTI-led alliance finally formed the government there.
Why is Imran Khan becoming so popular in Pakistan? It is the ruling alliance that is the chief contributor to his sky-high popularity. When Imran Khan came to power in 2018 after 21 years of active politics, people did not know much about the politician in him. But with the passage of time, he started showing his mettle. After his ouster from power, it has become more evident. The people are now rallying behind Imran Khan in ever growing numbers as if he is the Pied Piper of Pakistan politics. The ruling alliance should correct their course. Treading the crooked path to tackle Imran will only drive his popularity curve up. Rather, if his opponents want to equal his popularity, they must equal his love for the people and the country, the respect for the rule of law and the freedom of speech and the level of dignity that he possesses.
